


Forever and Ever

by wallashoom



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Dadvid is really only mentioned, David Acting as Max's Parental Figure | Dadvid (Camp Camp), David Adopts Max (Camp Camp), Fluff, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, M/M, Marriage Proposal, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26229928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallashoom/pseuds/wallashoom
Summary: He’s known him for fifteen years. He’s been dating him for ten years. He’s been thinking about this for thirteen years. He’s had the ring for one year. He’s known where he wants to do it for two years. All that’s left to do is get on one knee and wait for the “I do.”
Relationships: (background) Ered Miller/Nikki, (background) Harrison/Nerris (Camp Camp), Max/Neil (Camp Camp)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 46





	Forever and Ever

**Author's Note:**

> Summary honestly doesn't make a lot of sense but I just need some fluff in my life.  
> Originally, I wasn't going to post this on AO3 but... fuck it.

“You ready?” Nikki popped her head into the room. Neil tugged on his jacket, trying to fix any wrinkles. He was nervous. He was _so fucking_ nervous.

“Y-Yeah, I think so.”

The girl bounced over to the brunet. “It’s gonna be fine! You’ve been planning this for years!”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not scared.” Neil ran his hand through his hair. “What if he says no?”

“He’s not gonna say no.” Nikki almost laughed. “You’ve been together since you were fifteen, why would he say no?”

Neil shook his head. “I don’t… I don’t know.” 

“You’re overthinking. Relax. We have a whole day of fun at Camp Campbell to do!” She grinned. “C’moooonnn!!” 

“Okay, okay… let me just make sure I have everything…”

Nikki nodded and exited the room. Neil turned and started digging through the bag he was bringing. At the bottom was a small white box with a ring in it. It was hard to believe that today was the day that Neil was finally going to propose to Max after ten years of a relationship. Initially, he was going to keep his plan a secret, but two months after he got the ring, Nikki made a joke and Neil ended up spilling his secret. He told Nikki to keep it a secret, and as far as he knew, she did.

Neil’s plan was to get the gang together and go spend a day at the place where they met. David was still working there and Neil easily convinced him to let the ex-campers visit (they were his favorite group, after all). 

Everyone was ecstatic to go back. Most of them hadn’t been in years and had only heard about all the changes from Max (David adopted Max almost fourteen years ago). Neil and Nikki had gone back a few times with Max, and honestly were surprised to see how much it did and didn’t change. 

Neil pulled the bag over his shoulder and moved to the front door. Max, Dolph and Nurf were already at the camp, they had left two hours ago. The brunet walked outside and saw Ered’s minivan. Nikki was in the passenger’s (girlfriend privileges as she called it), and the only open seats were next to either Space Kid or Harrison. Neil sucked in a breath and trekked towards the vehicle. Nikki shot him a knowing glance, and Neil shot one back telling her to shut up.

The drive was full of excitement, and stress if you asked Neil. He knew Max would say yes, but he also didn’t know if Max would say yes.

Before he knew it, he was at Camp Campbell, Nikki snapping her fingers to get her friend’s attention. “Relax!” She whispered once she knew he was looking at her. “It’s gonna be fine!”

Neil got out of the car, then looked inside of his bag. He poked at the white box.

“This is gonna be so much fun!” Space Kid suddenly shouted next to him, causing Neil to almost lose his shit. His paranoia was at an all-time high today.

“Yeah… fun.” Neil swallowed. 

After everyone got their stuff, they headed in the direction of the Mess Hall. It had been rebuilt a few years ago- since another group of campers completely destroyed it. They had done it out of spite. Not the fun kind of spite, the pure kind of spite.

When the trio found out about it… well, Neil was pretty sure they ended up traumatizing those kids.

They had it coming though.

When Neil entered the building, he noted that his boyfriend- maybe possible fiancé (just the thought made him feel giddy and anxious)- wasn’t there. Neither was David. 

“Wonder where they are…” Nerris muttered as she set her stuff down. 

“Maybe out by the tents?” Harrison suggested.

“Or the activities field!” Preston shouted from across the room. 

Nikki huffed, sliding her small bookbag off her shoulders. “I’ll go look!” Before anyone else could say anything, Nikki was gone. 

“I’ll go after her.” Ered stalked out the door and after her girlfriend. 

“How she manages to put up with her…” Preston shook his head.

Nerris snickered. “Like you didn’t put up with her everyday at school.”

“Yeah, but that was school! Those two see each other all the time.”

“Because they live together.”

Harrison wrapped an arm around Nerris’ waist. “That’s probably how Ered deals with her. They’ve been dating for… seven years?”

“Close, eight.” Nerris corrected her lover.

“Ah.”

Neil turned his head away from the conversation in favor for shuffling through his bag again. Making sure no one was looking at what he was doing, he opened up the box and stared at the ring. It was a three carat. Yeah, it had cost a lot, but Neil wanted the best for Max. He deserved it. 

He deserved the world, honestly, after all the bullshit his biological parents put him through. 

He closed the box and stuffed it away again just as Nikki came bursting through the double doors of the Mess Hall. Behind her was David, Max, Nurf, and Dolph. Upon seeing his boyfriend, Neil couldn’t help but smile. 

Max met his gaze and smiled back. He moved to stand next to Neil, but David started talking to him. 

It was probably a task of some kind, because after David was done talking, Max had nodded and exited the Mess Hall again.

The redhead smiled- the ear-to-ear kind of smile- when he faced his old group of campers. “Hello!” He cheered. “Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve seen some of you!” He moved to hug Nerris, Harrison, and Preston, who returned the hug without any hesitation. 

It was a sort of unspoken thing among the group of adults, but each of them saw a fatherly figure within David (or an uncle figure for some). Whether it was because their own father (or uncle) was absent, deceased, or just wasn’t the best, they all had a soft spot for the man. Especially Neil and Nikki. David gave Max a safe home that he desperately needed, and the two were grateful for that.

...oh, David probably didn’t know that Neil was going to be proposing to his adopted son. How’d he react?

Knowing David, he’d probably be ecstatic. 

Neil panicked a little less.

Max eventually returned with a wheelbarrow of wooden logs- ones that looked all too familiar. 

They were the kind of logs David would use for a bonfire. Those nights were always special. It was kind of like a time to wind-down and just bond (Nikki nicknamed it “bondfire”. Max always threw a pinecone at her when she uttered the name). Neil briefly wondered if Max would continue that “tradition”.

The group were told to leave their stuff in the Mess Hall as David was about to take them on a hike. Initially, most of the group groaned. No one necessarily liked hikes. But once they were on the trail, it was a whole other story. 

Nerris pointed out an old tree that had most of its bark stripped away from all the times she and Nikki would create wooden swords. Harrison pointed out a lake that could be seen through the trees. ...a lake Max almost drowned in. When it was mentioned, Max had shuddered slightly and Neil intertwined their fingers. Nikki excitedly lifted a branch, peering at the tons of worms and ants underneath it. The “wormhole” as she called it.

The group eventually made it the cliffside. Everyone sat on the large rocks around the opening, not really wanting to get near the edge. It was a steep fall and there was a very high chance of death if someone did fall off.

Max, Neil, and Nikki sat on a larger rock, Max leaning into Neil’s right side and Nikki off to the side, carving something into the rock with a smaller rock.

“Hey, dare me to jump off the cliff?” Max stared at the edge. When he got no response, he turned to see Neil and Nikki glaring at him, a mixture of fear and worry in their eyes Max’s expression instantly changed. “Sorry, bad joke.”

“Jesus Christ, Max.” Nikki sighed, placing the small rock down. “Don’t say that kind of stuff… especially around here!”

Max buried himself further into his boyfriend. It was just a joke, yeah, but… Neil didn’t like thinking about it, but mid-August at their first and only year at Camp Campbell, Max had just suddenly become a lot more… distant. The trio had gotten into a couple arguments and that caused Max to feel like absolute shit. Then that led to Max… 

...

...after they managed to talk him down, they made up and Max started being more open about himself. 

They each promised that they’d never go there again, yet here they were fifteen years later. 

Neil couldn’t blame anyone, really. It wasn’t like David knew.

Things were a bit tense for a while, but eventually they started having a normal conversation. 

Well, normal for Nikki and Max. 

“But have you considered Velma?”

“When I was younger.”

“Before you realized you were gay?”

Max nodded. “Have you considered Scooby?”

“Wh-” Nikki sputtered. “Why the dog??”

Max gave her a “you know why” look.

The girl averted her eyes. “...fine, yes. But _only_ when I was, like, eight! I was a weird kid!”

“Really? I wouldn’t have known.” Neil snarked.

Nikki socked the brunet in the arm.

“Ow, fuck!” He rubbed his hand over where he was sure a bruise would be forming.

Max laughed at their antics.

* * *

“So…” Nikki came up behind Neil. “When are you gonna prop-”

Neil clamped a hand over her mouth. She was about to bite his hand, but Neil took it back before she could. “Max is literally right over there!” He pointed at an old green couch. 

Nikki bounded over to it and peered down. “He’s listening to music?” 

“Y-Yeah, but he could’ve still heard!”

Nikki put her hands up defensively. “Okay, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m just wondering! Like, is it gonna be a private thing or am I gonna get to see it go down?”

Neil glanced in Max’s direction, then grabbed the girl’s wrist and pulled her into the pantry. “I… I don’t know yet.” He admitted. "I was thinking… sometime in the afternoon?”

Nikki checked her phone. “Well, you got two hours before six hits and David’s doing a nature walk then.”

The nerd perked up. “I… I’ll do it then...”

“Really?!” Pink eyes glittered.

“Yeah… uh… I’ll figure out the rest… soon.”

“Oh, you better! I am _not_ letting that nature walk end until you-” 

The pantry door opened. The two turned to see Max, he seemed shocked that the two were in there. His hands moved to his ears, pulling an earbud out. “Why the hell are you in here?”

“Discussing some things!” Nikki said before Neil could come up with an adequate excuse. 

“...uh… okay?” Max shuffled past his close friends and snatched an unopened box of gummy snacks. 

“You still eat those?” Nikki giggled.

“Shut the fuck up.” The black-haired male walked out of the pantry.

Nikki turned to Neil. “Does he still eat those?” 

A smirk came to Neil’s lips. “Every time I get groceries, fruit snacks are always on the shopping list.”

“Hey!” Max shouted. “Don’t expose me like that!”

* * *

His palms were a bit sweaty as he held the white box in his hands. They were about to go on the nature walk and Nikki wouldn’t stop looking at him with this look that at this point felt mocking. She was just excited, Neil knew. But it just was too much.. 

He shoved the box in his jacket pocket after making sure the ring was still inside. He exited the building, spotting Max at the front with David. Nikki stalked over to the brunet, a knowing smile still plastered on her face. “It’s almost time!”

“Hush.” He put a hand to his head, a minor headache forming. 

Nikki recognized the symptoms. “Hey, hey, he’ll say yes! You got nothing to be afraid over! Do you really think he’d say no? He loves you, dummy.”

Neil sighed. “You don’t know that.”

“Seriously?” Nikki gawked. “Just last year he had the chance to ditch you and date the- arguably- hottest and wealthiest guy in the state and he _didn’t_. How can you even say he doesn’t love you??”

“Wha-? No, no, not about that! I meant… you don’t know that he’ll say yes.”

Nikki crossed her arms. “My point still stands. He loves you and always has. He’s gonna say yes!”

Neil let out a shaky breath just as David called the adults over to start the walk. 

Nikki offered a reassuring smile. 

“...when I give a signal, can you keep the others behind me and Max?”

“Oh, so it’s a public thing?” The teal-haired girl smirked. 

“ _Nikki_.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do that. Go get your man.” She patted him on the back, then lightly pushed him, a trace of mirth lacing her voice.

Neil subconsciously felt around in his pocket for the white box. It was still there. 

God, he was really doing this, wasn’t he?

The sun started setting as the group finished half the trail. Nikki occasionally looked Neil’s way, her eyes asking him when he was going to do it. Neil didn’t really answer her question, instead tightened his grip on Max’s hand. Max didn’t seem to notice.

He was gathering as much courage as he could muster, all the while trying to get him and Max to the front. They were just coming up to the Camp Campbell sign, the place the trio had met all those years ago. Nervously, Neil turned to Nikki and nodded when they locked eyes. Nikki’s face immediately formed into a smile, her already having to contain her enormous amount of excitement. She tugged on Ered’s hand, telling her to stay put. 

Neil slowed his steps as Nikki continued to tell everyone to stop. She called David over- he was the only person in front of the couple- and he joined her at her side. HIs face switched to confusion when she said to him “stay here”.

Neil breathed in, then out. Max hadn’t quite realized that everyone had stopped. The brunet clutched the box, his nerves suddenly spiking. 

_‘Now or never.’_

Trying to keep his voice steady, he let go of his boyfriend’s hand and used it to point towards a random tree. “Hey, Max, what’s that over there?” 

Max turned around, squinting since it was dark. While he was doing this, Neil took the ring box out and briefly opened it. He glanced at Max, who was still looking in the direction of the forest. Without trying to make too much noise, he got down on a knee and held the still closed box in his hands. 

He heard people gasp- no one had really been expecting this, after all. Max must’ve heard the gasps, because he whirled around to face them, not quite seeing his boyfriend. They were all smiling, David had (happy) tears in his eyes, and they were all looking at him. “Uh… wh-” He didn’t finish the sentence as he turned and looked up, expecting to see Neil there. 

Instead he was met with the man he’d known for a decade and a half on one knee with a small box probably containing a fucking _diamond ring_ in his hands. His own hands flew over his mouth, a muffled and barely audible “oh my god” escaping his throat.

A sudden wave of confidence washed over Neil. “Max.” He started, meeting his lover’s eyes. “Fifteen years ago, I had met a very snarky, cynical boy with black hair and the most gorgeous green eyes. This snarky little boy ended up becoming my best friend… and a little something more later on.”

He paused, wondering how much he should say and what he should save for the actual… wedding… there wasn’t much of a doubt in his mind that Max wouldn’t say yes anymore. “Right here, in a shoddy, run-down camp, is where I met the love of my life.” He saw tears spring to the corners of Max’s eyes. “And I know back when we were eighteen we said we wouldn’t do it like this but…” He popped the box open, the ring visible now. “I just have to ask… will you marry me?”

Max shut his eyes, a single tear escaping. He opened them up again, his eyes seemingly full of nothing but love as his hands moved away from his face. He leaned forward, his hands sliding down to his knees as he quietly laughed while more tears started falling. “Yes, dumbass.” Neil almost didn’t hear it. 

Neil’s face beamed as he removed the ring from the box and took Max’s hand in his. He slid in on- it was a perfect fit. 

Max didn’t let Neil put the box away as he pulled Neil close for a kiss. They both heard Nikki cheer as they parted, their foreheads touching.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Moments later, the rest of the group was surrounding them, all buzzing with excitement and uttering variations of congratulations.

* * *

Nikki popped up next to Neil. “So… how’s it feel to be an engaged man?”

Neil almost shrieked from her sudden appearance. It was around ten at night and everyone was winding down in the Mess Hall before the bonfire at midnight. “It,” he collected himself, “feels… nice.”

Nikki held a tight smirk. “See? I told you he’d say yes!” 

“Yeah, you did.” Neil hummed, remembering something. He looked up at the clock that was installed (at Max’s request seven years ago) above the doors outside of the Mess Hall. “I, uh, gotta go do something.”

The girl’s face held confusion for a moment, then it twisted to a devious smirk. “You mean _someone_.”

Neil turned to look at her, his face red. “You. Shush.”

Nikki giggled. “You just got engaged! Go, enjoy yourselves.” She laughed some more. “Seriously, _go_!” She ushered him away. 

The brunet shook his head, albeit a smile was on his face as he turned in the direction of the tents the adults would be staying in after the bonfire. 

“Treat him right!” Nikki shouted after him.

His face was burning. “Oh my god, SHUT UP!”

**Author's Note:**

> Later at the bonfire everyone knew they fucked. The end.  
> I know that proposal was awkward as fuck.  
> I just kinda wanted to take a break from writing BC since the amount of angst coming up is... ouch. Idk if I can write good fluff so I guess this was kind of a practice.


End file.
